Chapter 72
Selena
I froze in shock. For one endless heartbeat, my body simply refused to move.
My Father stood a few steps away from me, dressed in his formal black regalia embroidered with the silver crest of Nightbane.
The soft lanterns hanging inside the abandoned conservatory cast uneven shadows across his face, making the smile slowly stretching across his lips look far more sinister than welcoming.
Behind him stood Alpha Kael. His shoulders were squared, his expression unreadable, but I could feel the tension radiating from him even from where I stood.
Neither of them looked away from the other and the silence felt suffocating.
"So," Father finally said, his voice was calm. Way too calm.
"I’ve searched half the realm for you."
My throat tightened as he continued. "I searched forests, villages, neighboring territories..."
He chuckled bitterly. "And all this time... you were exactly where I believed you were."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Alpha Kael before returning to me. "I never doubted it."
Alpha Kael remained silent as my father slowly turned fully toward him. "I knew you took her." His voice suddenly rose. "I knew you kidnapped my daughter!"
His words echoed through the abandoned conservatory while Alpha Kael’s jaw tightened. "I never kidnapped her."
"Oh?" Father barked. "No?" He laughed without humor. "Then explain why every attempt I made to enter Blackbourne failed."
His eyes narrowed. "Every merchant I sent disappeared! Every messenger returned empty-handed and every excuse imaginable was given to prevent my men from searching your territory."
His gaze became icy. "So I changed tactics." He spread his arms slightly. "I made Councilman Cedric hold this ball."
His smile widened. "Here... In Blackbourne."
My heart skipped. He... He planned this?
My Father nodded slowly, almost proudly. "You really believed it was a coincidence?"
His eyes gleamed. "No. I knew you were here so I simply needed something strong enough to draw you out."
He glanced toward Isadora who was still tied to the chair, she looked pale, confused and frightened.
"You loved your little friend far too much." His voice softened mockingly. "I knew if I placed her where you could see her...you would come."
A wave of sickness rolled through me that He had used Isadora Just to catch me.
He slowly stretched one hand toward me. "Come." His tone became almost fatherly. "Enough of this baby. You’ve made your point so let’s go home."
I stared at his hand and it looked familiar. The same hand that had held mine when I was little.
The same hand that had lifted me onto horses. The same hand...that had signed girls over to monsters.
My feet moved Backward and his smile disappeared as he asked, "What are you doing?"
Another step then another.
His brows furrowed. "Selena."
I shook my head. "No." The word barely came out above a whisper.
Alpha Kael finally stepped forward just enough to stand between us. "She has made her choice." His voice remained level. "She wishes to remain in Blackbourne."
My Father slowly looked at him then back at me. "Is that true?"
My chest rose and fell rapidly as every memory flooded back about the ledger, the crying families, the tribute lists, the terrified girls and the lies.
I met my father’s eyes. "It is."
His face became completely still then he laughed and it wasn’t a normal laugh.
A loud, broken, almost hysterical one that echoed against the cracked walls.
I instinctively stepped closer to Isadora as she was trembling violently.
I leaned down quickly. "Listen to me." She looked at me with watery eyes. "When I tell you...run."
She nodded faintly as I whispered into her ear. "Go to the kitchens, find Sally and she’ll hide you."
Before Isadora could move, My Father grabbed her arm. "No." She cried out.
"Father!" I lunged instinctively. "Let her go!" I screamed and grabbed his sleeve.
He barely reacted as he spoke out. "Selena... that’s enough!"
"No!" I dug my fingers deeper into his arm. "She’s done nothing!"
He tightened his grip on Isadora while I pulled harder. "Let her go!"
He ignored me and something inside me snapped so I pinched his wrist as hard as I could and his grip loosened.
Isadora cried again as I pulled with everything I had then he finally shoved me backward as the force nearly knocked me off balance.
But... his grip released Isadora. "Run!" I screamed at the top of my voice.
She didn’t hesitate as she sprinted out of the conservatory while my father made no move to chase her Instead... He stared at me looking confused and almost hurt.
"What happened to you?" His voice had changed. "What have they done to you?"
My breathing became uneven. "You still don’t understand?"
He frowned. "I was protecting you so I understand what you mean."
"No." I shook my head fiercely. "You were sacrificing me."
His expression hardened. "You don’t know what you’re saying."
"I know exactly what I’m saying!" Tears blurred my vision. "I heard you!"
His eyes narrowed as I added. "I heard you talking to your Beta that night."
His face changed very slightly but I saw it.
"I heard everything." My voice broke. "You chose me! You chose your own daughter and you were going to send me to the vampires."
Silence as the words echoed inside the room. Alpha Kael never interrupted as he simply watched.
My Father sighed heavily. "You misunderstood."
"I did not!"
His voice became firm. "You misunderstood what was necessary."
I laughed bitterly through my tears. "Necessary? You call selling your daughter necessary?"
"It is our duty."
"Our duty?" I stepped toward him. "Our duty? What kind of father says that?"
He looked genuinely frustrated now. "You think I enjoyed making that decision?"
"I don’t care!"
"I had no choice!"
"You always had a choice!"
"No!" His voice thundered through the conservatory. "The vampires would destroy us!"
"You chose fear over your daughter!"
"I chose my people!"
I wiped my tears angrily. "And I chose to leave."
He stared at me as I continued before he could speak. "I wasn’t kidnapped. I chose to run! I chose to escape from you and I left because I refused to become livestock."
The room became painfully quiet as my Father inhaled slowly. Then...His shoulders relaxed.
"I’ll fix it." My brows knitted together as he added, "I’ll send someone else."
His words made my blood run cold. "You won’t have to go. I’ll choose another girl."
I stared at him as disbelief slowly turned into horror.
"You..." He nodded. "You’ll come home and I’ll handle everything."
I stepped back again. "No."
His face darkened. "No?"
"I won’t go back with you." I said firmly.
"You belong to Nightbane."
"No I don’t!"
"You belong with your family." He pointed out.
"My family stopped being my family the moment you chose me as tribute."
His jaw clenched. "You don’t mean that."
"I do! I’d rather stay here." I reached for Alpha Kael’s hand without thinking and he squeezed mine firmly. "I choose Blackbourne."
My Father’s eyes fell to our joined hands but before anyone could react, the conservatory doors burst open as Blackbourne guards rushed inside with their weapons drawn.
Several of them positioned themselves between my Father and me.
Alpha Kael stepped forward. "Alpha William." His tone was dangerously calm. "Leave her alone because you cannot take anyone from my pack against their will."
My Father remained motionless then without warning he attacked.
One guard barely managed to lift his spear before Father struck him aside.
Another was thrown into a pillar as chaos exploded.
"Move!" Alpha Kael barked and before I realized what was happening, he had pulled me behind him. "Come with me!"
"But Isadora—"
"We’ll find her!" He dragged me out of the conservatory.
Behind us, steel clashed as guards shouted while furniture splintered.
My heart pounded wildly at the thought of Isadora.
"No!" I pulled against Alpha Kael’s grip. "I can’t leave Isadora behind!"
"We have to keep you safe first!" Alpha Kael snapped.
"I won’t leave her!" I stopped so abruptly that even Alpha Kael stumbled. "I won’t!"
He stared at me for a brief second then nodded. "Fine!"
"She’s in the kitchen." I said as we ran while servants scattered as we hurried through the corridors.
When we reached the kitchen, my stomach dropped when I couldn’t find either Sally or Isadora there.
The ball was somehow still continuing elsewhere in the castle as Music drifted faintly through the corridors as though nothing had happened.
"We have to go." Alpha Kael guided me through another hallway.
Soon we reached the hidden room where my revolution members had gathered.
The moment they saw me, several of them jumped to their feet. "Selena! What happened? Are you alright?"
"Yes ," I said quickly, trying to steady my breathing. "But everything is alright."
"Alpha..."Some called out, obviously frightened by Alpha Kael’s presence.
"It’s fine, you all should be calm." I quietly assured them.
Sally finally emerged from the back of the room and beside her... was Isadora.
The moment I saw her unharmed, my knees almost gave out with relief.
I rushed forward and hugged her tightly. "You made it."
She nodded silently while Alpha Kael waited patiently until I finally stepped back.
"We’re leaving."
I nodded and together, the three of us left the room. Halfway down the corridor, we nearly collided with Kieren and Beta Bastian.
Both looked alarmed. "My Alpha," Kieren said immediately. "Alpha William has gone on a rampage upstairs and he attacked several of our guards. Why is he fighting our men?"
Alpha Kael opened his mouth to answer but before he could speak— I did instead.
"That’s because he found his long-lost daughter."
Silence met my words.
Then we continued down the hallway without another word.